Amazing Places to Watch Humpback Whales

If you are an avid whale watcher, then you have probably already seen these majestic creatures in their natural habitat. But like many, most of us have only seen whales in marine parks and such like. So now we take a look at some of the best places on the planet that you can see these spectacular creatures.

Humpback whales are the most friendly and beautiful whales that swim in our seas and oceans, and there are many great places to get up close to these gentle giants, and in some places, you can actually get out and swim with them.

St. Lawrence Marine Park

This marine park in Quebec was created to protect humpback whales and fifteen hundred other types of marine animals. At Saguenay, there are thirteen different kinds of whales that visit there in order to feed and get ready for the long migration that lies ahead of them. Visitors can take advantage of rowing out in small boats to get close to these amazing creatures.

Iceland

Iceland is a great place to go whale watching especially around Husavik and Reykjavik, and if the weather is clement you can board one of the boats that take daily tours. In these waters you can see many species of whales swimming in their natural habitat, including humpbacks, and minkes. If you are lucky you can also spot orcas, harbor porpoises, and white-beaked dolphins. The best time of year to go is between May and August.

Mexico

From the icy waters of Iceland we now travel to the warmer Sea of Cortez, a stunning beautiful place and it is known locally as The Aquarium of Mexico, as the clear waters display a vast biodiversity of marine life. If you are lucky enough to visit there between December and April, you will see the magnificent whales giving birth and breeding. The humpbacks can be seen just five hundred meters from the coast, and guides with small boats will be happy to take you out to get a little closer.

Columbia

From June to October the Pacific coast around Colombia is a perfect location to go humpback spotting. The whales head to the warm waters during this period to give birth and to breed. You need not even go out on a boat as the whales can be seen by the naked eye from the beach. The best places to see them are, Tumaco, Gorgona National Park, Nuqui, and Bahia Malaga.

South Africa

Our final destination in our hunt for the best places to see humpback whales is the Western Cape of South Africa. During August until November the waters around this part of the world are teaming with whales, and the local laws allow small boats to get as close as fifty meters to the marine giants.

Most boats are crewed by expert guides, who will gladly impart exactly what the whales are doing and why. Understanding the behavior of these magnificent creatures gives a great insight into their lives and their purpose on the planet.

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Name: Karim Iliya
Email: karimiliya@gmail.com
We quietly approached the mother and baby humpback whale keeping to the surface, yet making our presence aware to the mother. This is a baby humpback whale calf that was approximately 1 week old. As with most babies, this creature was curious. I could not help but wave and smile at the newborn whale almost three times my length. Its curiosity got the better of it, and emerging from under it’s mother’s fin it swam towards me, approaching less than 30 centimeters from my face.
http://yourshot.nationalgeographic.com/photos/6295823/
Raw obtained
-JRR

By the 1960s, humpback whales and other whale species had been hunted extensively, sometimes to the point of near extinction. Then a recording of humpback whale songs helped shift public opinion on the hunting of all whale species.